Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 (IANS): Several persons were injured after a major fire broke out at a fuel station near Raj Bhawan in Bhubaneswar following an explosion on Wednesday.

An underground CNG storage tank exploded leading to the fire at the fuel station located barely a few hundred metres away from Raj Bhawan, said police.

The blast injured many people and damaged many vehicles at the petrol station.

As many as five fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.

Police Commissioner Sudhansu Sarangi informed that one of the fuel storage tanks exploded causing the fire to spread.

He said the entire stretch of road between Raj Bhawan and Capital Hospital has been cordoned off by the police to avoid any untoward situation.

The intensity of the explosion was so high that it felt like an earthquake. The nearby houses also felt the strong shocks, said an eyewitness.

Capital Hospital director Laxmidhar Sahoo said they have received eight injured persons for treatment.

"Of them, two have sustained critical burn injuries and efforts are on to shift them to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The other six have received minor injuries," he said.